


November 8th

by StackerPentecost



Series: November Writing Prompts [8]
Category: Marvel, The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Explicit Consent, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Jewish Frank Castle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-10
Updated: 2018-11-10
Packaged: 2019-08-21 12:28:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16576490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StackerPentecost/pseuds/StackerPentecost
Summary: Karen Page comes from a well off family that expects so much from her. Frank Castle is just a construction worker who has heart hidden behind his temper. When Frank saves her life, can Karen keep herself from falling in love with a man her family would never accept?This is for November Prompt List. I am aware that I am a few days behind.This prompt was: Wealth.





	November 8th

She met him by accident. She’d been out walking one morning, needing a breath of fresh air and to hear something besides her parents arguing over insignificant bullshit. She hadn’t been paying attention like she should’ve been, not even looking at the hulking man leaning against the building as she passed. Before she knew what was happening, he’d shoved her to the ground and there was the cold press of a pistol barrel against her forehead. 

“Give me your goddamn purse, bitch.”

Karen swallowed, overwhelmed by the stench of alcohol coming from this man. He had dark eyes and a crooked nose and equally crooked, yellowing teeth. He pulled the hammer back on the gun when she didn’t move. “I am not fucking playing around!”

Just as Karen began to carefully slip off her purse, there was a yell and the man was suddenly sprawling out on the sidewalk. Another man stood over him, kicking him repeatedly about the head and chest. Once the mugger was no longer moving, the other man retrieved the gun and emptied the bullets. They clicked against the cement before he proceeded to chuck the empty weapon down an alley. Karen watched all this in disbelief, unmoving until the man returned to her side. 

  
“You okay there, ma’am?” He was wearing an oversized black hoodie and his hair was cropped short. He had dark brown eyes, but unlike the mugger’s, there was a certain warmth to them. His nose was pronounced in a way that meant it had been broken more than once. Karen thought distantly that people probably found his expression to be unpleasant and intimidating, but she felt none of those things. She took his hand when he offered it and carefully got to her feet

“I’m okay, thank you. I should’ve been paying attention but my head is so clouded, I wasn’t looking around me.” Karen adjusted her purse on her shoulder and brushed herself off. “I’m Karen, Karen Page. You are?”

“Frank Castle. And don’t worry about it, no woman should have to watch their back when they go for a walk.” They shook hands. 

  
“Still, thank you. I could’ve died if it hadn’t been for you.” 

Frank shrugged modestly, scrapping a boot against the pavement. “It’s not a big deal. You take of yourself, Ms. Page.” He turned to head back down the street.

“Frank, wait!” Karen caught up with him. “Please, at least let me buy you coffee to say thank you. It’s the least I can do.”

“Ma’am, you don’t -”

“Please, just let me, okay? You can even look at it as more for me than you.”

  
Frank sighed but raised his hands up in defeat. “Alright, alright. But a lady like you deserves something a little more than just some coffee. There’s a diner down the street that makes the best breakfast in Hell’s Kitchen. How about we get a table?”   


Karen smiled softly, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. “Lead the way.”

* * *

 

Frank had been right, the food was delicious. It probably was made better by the fact that her parents had food like this, meaning food that was greasy and fattening and made you feel good after you ate it.

Frank himself was just as nice to have around. He wasn’t extremely talkative, but he actually listened to what Karen had to say. She learned he lived in the neighborhood and had all his life. He was currently working as a construction worker, though he didn’t much care for the work, even if he was good at it. He had a big family where he was oldest boy. His mother wanted him to marry and settle down a nice Jewish girl soon, but he had to meet anyone he was willing to spend his time with. 

Karen felt comfortable enough to talk about being an only child to a well off business man and his beauty queen wife. She had a lot expected of her as well. Her mom wanted her to follow in her footsteps as a pageant queen and her father wanted her to be a lawyer or a doctor. Karen though, she wanted to do something to make a difference in the world. So, she found herself at odds with them more often than not.

By the end of their meal, Karen found Frank much more interesting than a lot of the people her parents forced her to socialize with. He even insisted on picking up the bill though she had been the one who wanted to treat him for saving her life. He waited with her with as she called for a car to pick her up.

“Thank you, Frank.” She said once she’d ended the call. “This is by far the nicest morning I’ve had in a long time.”

“You mean that even with the mugging?”

“Well, the breakfast and your company helped me forget it, so yes.”

“I had a nice time too, Ms. Page.” He offered her a small smile.  

Before the car came up, she pulled a napkin out of her coat and handed it to him.

  
“What’s this?”   
  
“I wrote my number down. Anytime you wanna get some good food or have coffee, let me know. I could use the company.” 

Frank hesitated for a moment before pocketing it. “I’ll remember that.”

A black SUV pulled up the curb. She smiled at him again, squeezing his shoulder and giving a soft goodbye. He watched as the as the car left and disappeared into the morning traffic.

* * *

 

Frank didn’t expect to hear from Karen Page again. She was out of his league, he knew that, and his mother wouldn’t approve if they ever got involved. But somehow, he kept thinking about her. He had liked her a lot. She was intelligent and honest with a bit of a fierce undertone. She hadn’t even let something like a near death experience drag her down. But he wasn’t someone she would associate with. 

That’s why he was surprised when called him about a week later, wondering if he wanted to get lunch her favorite Italian place. Though he’d said yes, he expected they’d end up going somewhere her parents would frequent. He was pleasantly surprised when they ended up at another small, family run place. If her parents really were the snobby, rich type, she certainly didn’t reflect that and Frank enjoyed that about her. 

Frank tried not to think of her beyond a good friend, but the more time they spent together, the harder that was. He found his heart speeding up every time they shared a text or a phone call and even more so when they finally saw each other. It only got worse the longer it went on. Frank swung back and forth from wanting to make a move to wanting to keep things the way they were.

It all came to a head one night when there was a knock on his apartment. He’d just finished dinner and had settled on his couch to read, the tv playing softly. He wasn’t expecting anyone, but when he went to answer the door, he came face to face with Karen.

Her eyes were red and swollen from crying and her hands were shaking where they were clenched in front of her. She looked disheveled, as though she’d ran the whole way there.

“Karen? What happened?”   


She sniffled and ducked her head. “Can I come in?”

He nodded and stepped aside to let her in. 

  
The upside of working construction meant Frank could afford a decent sized apartment that was clean and without rodents or bugs. Karen went to sit on the couch, hunched over herself. Frank grabbed a box of tissues and went to sit next to her, offering the box. She took one and wiped her eyes. Frank then gave her a few minutes to breathe before he said anything. She ended up talking first.

  
“I’m sorry to bother you, Frank. I didn’t mean to show up uninvited.”   
  
“Don’t worry about it, I wasn’t busy anyway. But, what happened?”

She inhaled a shaky breath, her hands fidgeting in her lap. “It’s just my parents. I’m beginning to think they hate me.”

  
“And what makes you think that?”

“We were having dinner and no matter how hard I tried to keep the conversation neutral, my dad brought up going to school and if I had decided if I preferred law or medicine. I thought being honest for once would be a good idea, so I told him I hadn’t decided on either because I don’t want to be a doctor or a lawyer. That made him mad. And then when I told him that I wanted to do something good for people, he just exploded. He said I’m ungrateful and everything that’s wrong with the world just because I don’t wanna scam people out of their money for a living. And then my mom got on me about finding a man and getting married and all it was all too much so I left with them still screaming at me.” Fresh tears leaked down her cheeks. “I don’t know what to do, Frank. I try so hard to please them but it’s never enough.”

“I’m sorry, Karen. Anybody can see that you’re trying and they would too if they just opened their eyes for a minute.” He moved closer, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She deflated, sinking into his side as soft sob left her lips. Frank held her tight, willing to hold her forever if it helped her feel better. Karen was so kind in every way, he hated that her parents couldn’t appreciate her for who she was. 

“What can I do to make this better?” Frank asked once her sobs had calmed and she was breathing normally again. 

Karen let go of him a little so they could see each other. She had gone quiet and Frank had a feeling she was debating something. He found himself surprised when she leaned up and placed a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth. 

“Will you make me forget? Please?” 

Frank’s breath caught in his throat. His mouth was warm where she’d kissed him. But he had to ask, “Are you sure? I don’t think you should ask for that just to take the pain away. In the end, it won’t do anything.”

“It’s not just that. I’ve wanted this for a long time now. I’ve wanted you for a long time. The only reason I told myself know was because of my parents. But I am sick of their shit. So, please, if you feel the same, then let’s spend the whole night forgetting.” She reached to touch his cheek, thumb scraping over his stubble.

“You’re sure?” Frank turned his head and kissed her palm gently.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been more sure of anything.” She admitted, her cheeks warming faintly.

That was what he needed to hear. He kissed her then, pleased when she let out a soft sigh. Her hands went to lock around his neck and he slipped his hands down her sides to her hips, guiding her into his lap. He found that they fit together like they were made for each other, like she belonged in his arms. She enjoyed how strong he felt underneath her, firm and solid and safe. 

They kissed like they were about to be pulled apart any second and perhaps they felt that way for good reason. If either of their parents found out this, especially her parents, they wouldn’t exactly be happy, to say the least. That made every touch rough and passionate. But soon kisses, no matter how deep, became not nearly enough. 

She wasn’t surprised when he picked her up, his arms were thick enough some places to rival her head, so she simply held on as he made his way from the couch to the bedroom, placing kisses on her jaw and against her neck. 

He was gentle when he laid her back on the bed, crawling up to kiss her again. She moaned softly at the comforting weight of him over her, tilting her head so he could have better access. As he kissed her neck, she reached to run her fingers through his short hair, loving how soft it was. He asked for permission before he removed her coat and sweater, not willing to go on unless he was sure she was still on board. 

She blushed when she saw him looking at her, letting out a chuckle. “Oh, like you’ve never seen a girl in her bra before.”

Frank huffed a laugh. “Guilty, but it’s been a while.”   


She raised an eyebrow. “I find that hard to believe.”

He shrugged, smoothing his hands down over her hips. “I don’t do the whole sleeping around thing.”

She gave a small smile. “Neither do I.”

When she allowed him to remove her skirt, he sucked in another breath, already very aware of how aroused he was by all this and neither of them were naked yet. Karen liked it, liked that he seemed to be so in awe of her. That had never happened before. 

“You are way too dressed.” She announced before he could go further. He obliged her by removing his shirt and kicking off his pants. 

“Better?”

She took in what had been revealed and swallowed. “Very.”

They kissed again before he focused on her collarbone, making sure to only leave marks that would be covered by whatever clothes she was wearing. Each touch sent her skin aflame, until it felt like she was going to melt into the sheets. 

She bit her lip when her bra came off, a part of her afraid he would end up not liking what he saw. But that didn’t seem the case at all, not with the way he touched her. The roughness ceased and he touched her like she was precious. 

Her skin was soft against his hands and he had to refrain himself from making a noise to betray his feelings. He couldn’t resist putting his mouth on her, the way she squirmed and moaned everything he didn’t know he wanted. 

“Frank..” Karen’s voice came out breathless as he massaged her chest and teased her with his mouth. He could feel her wetness brushing against the leg that was between hers. “Please, I-I need..” She was having a hard time stringing words together, too absorbed in what he was doing. 

He understood nonetheless, pulling away so he could strip of down to nothing and helped her do the same. She eyed him the whole time, hands dragging over whatever skin she could reach. He was everything she’d imagined he’d be and then some and she had spent plenty of time thinking about this.

“Excuse the scars.” Frank murmured, hand stroking her bare thigh.

“I like them.” She responded, stroking across one that was just above his right hip. Her hand lower than, more interested in touching something else. “I think I like this better though.”   
  
He let out a chuckle that ended in a groan. He found her just as appealing. Every bit of her was perfect. She was a little pale but he liked the way it brought out the blonde color of her hair and the blue of her eyes. He was sure there would be other people out there who would find her too small in the wrong places but he didn’t care. He wanted her, all of her and he was enjoying that she wanted him just the same. 

Frank settled himself between her legs, noticing how she shivered when he kissed her thighs, her toes curling. “You still okay?” He asked, again putting her needs above his own. 

She nodded quickly. “More than okay.”

When he leaned to taste her, he didn’t hold back, wanting to hear every sweet sound that he could get out of her. Excitement pooled in his gut as she reacted immediately, one hand clenching the sheets while the other hand stroked through his hair. He kept his eyes on her as he worked his tongue, wetness coating his chin. She whimpered and whined, sounds that he knew he’d be thinking about over and over again. When he added his fingers, her hips rose off the bed but he easily pressed her back down, using just enough strength to keep her still. She babbled his name repeatedly, unable to say much else besides that and a few curses, which he enjoyed hearing as much as her moans. 

“F-Frank..” Karen bit her lip. “Please, I-I need..”

Frank understood, pulling back, his lips and chin shiny and wet. When they kissed again, Karen found she liked the taste of herself on his tongue. They continued to kiss and touch as he dug around in nightstand for what he needed. In truth, she didn’t want one, but the last thing she needed to explain to her family right now was a child and she didn’t want to screw up whatever this was between them. 

He slipped his arms around her, resting their foreheads together so he could watch her expression. He asked her one more time if this was what she wanted and she didn’t hesitate when she said yes.

When he finally entered her, she let out a soft gasp, her eyes squeezing shut. Her already heated skin flushed more and she latched onto him, her hands clasped at the base of his neck. He kissed her then, beginning move, slowly at first before putting more weight behind it. 

“Frank!” She moaned as they found a rhythm, push and pull, give and take. He placed kisses wherever he could reach, letting out a few groans of his own. They fit together this way too, everything they did felt natural, like this was supposed to happen. She urged him on, wanting more, needing more. He filled every inch of her, made her feeling like she’d ever need anything else but him. The bed creaked beneath them, but neither of them seemed to care enough to pay much attention to it. 

“You’re so goddamn beautiful.” Frank breathed out, nipping at her ear before nuzzling against her cheek.

“You make me feel beautiful.” Karen responded, turning her head so they could kiss again. 

The urgency between them increased as they both chased their end. They’d both dissolved into moans, unable to say much else. She knew she wouldn’t be able to last much longer, not when he was pressing inside in exactly the right way every time he thrust forward. Frank could tell too, from the way she kept biting her lip, the way her grip on him tightened even more. And he wanted it, he wanted to watch her fall apart. 

He got the chance to do just that. A few more well placed thrusts and Karen’s whole body froze, holding onto Frank like he was an anchor in a storm. The sound she made was utterly obscene and Frank loved it. She shuddered beneath him, he held her close as she rode out the waves of pleasure coursing through her. He wasn’t far behind, not with noises she was making and how absolutely perfect she looked like this. He let out a deep groan, burying his face in her neck as his hips stuttered to a stop. He bit down on her neck, not hard enough to hurt too much, but enough to leave a mark. She stroked down the back of his head and over his shoulders as he panted against her. 

It was a few minutes before they parted and when they did, it was with a bit of reluctance. She didn’t know what to do with herself now. Part of her wondered if he would make her leave. 

When he settled down on the bed beside her, she was sure he was going to ask her to go. And she knew she wouldn’t put up a fight if he did. But she didn’t want to go home, didn’t want to have to explain where she’d been and what she’d been doing. 

“You don’t have to stay over there.” Karen blinked in surprise when he spoke up. He raised an arm, offering her a place against his side. She took it, curling herself close to him, laying her head down on his chest. She could hear his heart beating steadily and it was a comforting sound, especially combined with the warm she felt with his arm around her. 

He pulled up the comforter then and she pressed in closer, loving how he ran hot compared to her. She felt her heart ache a little when his fingers began to comb through her hair. 

“I hope I wasn’t too disappointing.”

She scoffed, “You weren’t disappointing at all, so get that thought out of your head.”

Frank smiled softly to himself, leaning to kiss her head. “You’re welcome to stay the night. You probably don’t want to go back home anyway.”   


“You’re right, so thank you.” She leaned into his touch, letting it pull her toward sleep. 

He remained awake until he was sure she’d dozed off, wanting her to be comfortable and to feel safe. Leaning to turn off the lamp, he laid back against the pillows, turning himself so they were curled together under the blankets.

* * *

 

Karen woke to the sun shining through the blinds, casting slats of light across the room. She was warm, very warm and more comfortable than she had been in a long time. She’d hadn’t woken up feeling this good since she was a kid. It then that she remembered where she was and what had happened. 

Beside her, Frank was still asleep, his chest gently rising and falling under her cheek, eyes still closed. He looked peaceful, his features free of the usual emotion they always carried. She smiled gently, running her hand over his cheek before placing a kiss on his nose. 

Frank stirred then, his eyes opening slowly. “Karen?” He mumbled, voice still thick with sleep. He stretched a little, cracking his neck briefly before smiling softly at her. “I don’t think I’ve woken up to something this nice in a long time.”

Karen ducked her head, her cheeks turning pink. “I could say the same thing.” 

When they kissed, their lips lingered, not wanting to stop. It felt easy to fall into each other again, just like they had the night before. 

After they came up for air, Frank suggested breakfast. Which was how they found themselves back in the diner they’d eaten at the first day they’d met. Only this time, Frank kept looking at her like she’d hung the moon and the stars and Karen figured she was probably doing the same thing to him. He even took her hand underneath the table.

She’d never felt so at ease in her own skin. She couldn’t imagine anywhere else that she’d want to be. This was everything her parents hated but though that added to everything, in the end this was something she did want and not just out of spite or rebellion. But would Frank have her? They weren’t exactly the most conventional couple. His parents expected him to find a woman of the same faith and her parents wanted a wealthy man who’d gone to an Ivy League college and made six figures. But when Karen thought of taking someone else over Frank, her heart hurt. 

She didn’t want someone else, she wanted Frank.

When they returned to his apartment, she could think of nothing else. She had to tell him, to find out if he wanted the same things she did and if there was a chance for them. 

“What are you thinking about?” He asked, noticing the way she began to pace as soon as they got into the apartment. 

She stopped, her hands fidgeting in front of her as she avoided his gaze. “I’m thinking about us.”

“What about us?” Frank asked, coming to place a comforting hand on her arm.  

  
“Do you want this, Frank? Do you want there to be an us? I know you’ve been treating me really nicely, but does that mean you want something more than just a good time in bed?”

Frank was quiet for a moment before he said, “I wouldn’t have done any of what we did if I just wanted sex from you.” His hand drifted down to take hers.

“But what about your family? I thought you said your mom is always wanting you to get with someone of the same faith. In my family..” She sighed and shook her head, feeling tears come to her eyes. “I love you,” She choked out, her lip trembling. “But..with the way things are, there’s no chance for us.”

“Hey,” Frank reached to tip her chin up and wipe away her tears. “Why isn’t there? Who cares what other people think, even our families? I want you just as much as you want me. Isn’t that all that really matters?”    
  
“You..you don’t mind?"

Frank shook his head, kissing her head. “No. I’ve never been the son my parents wanted me to be. And I do love you, and if there’s one thing my mother understands, it’s love. And as for your family, if you want this, then you should take it. I’ll be here for you, whatever you need.” 

Fresh tears trailed down her cheeks as she stepped close and slipped her arms around him. Frank stroked her hair and down her back until she wasn’t crying anymore. When she finally lifted her head to look at him, she managed a smile. “Okay,” She said, sounding more confident. “If you’re in, then so am I. We’ll figure this out.”

Frank agreed before sweetly kissing her again.

* * *

 

From that point on, Karen spent most of her time with Frank. His apartment was a refuge, some place she could always go if things at home weren’t easy. And together, she explored the city and saw things she’d never knew were there. She felt more alive than she had in months and it was liberating. 

But it all almost came crashing down one day when they were out, having just gotten finished having lunch at a local Chinese place. Karen hadn’t been paying much attention to some of the places they passed, but when that voice called out, she froze.

“Karen?”

Fear gripped her chest like a vice. She squeezed Frank’s hand hard, willing her father to just go away.

“Karen, you look at me, right now.” There was no room for argument in his voice. But before Karen could turn, her shoulder was grabbed and she was roughly pulled around in the other direction. She was met with the form of her father, dressed in best suit for work, glaring at her like she’d just declared she was a hippie and was going to live out west in commune. 

“Get your fucking hands off her!” Frank immediately reacted, shoving him backwards and away from her. He then turned to her, “Are you alright?”

She nodded quickly, taking a step back when her father approached again.

“Karen?! What the hell is wrong with you?! This is where you’ve been?! You told your mother you’d enrolled in medical school! But instead you’re…” He looked at Frank, clearly disgusted before turning his wrath on her again. “Is this what you want? To be fucking around with some piece of trash and end up pregnant or worse and then be stuck with him for the rest of your life?! What did ever do to deserve this, Karen? We raised you right.”

Karen didn’t have to look at Frank to know he was two steps from throwing a punch. She couldn’t really blame him either, she was the one who was used to dealing with this. 

Her father completely ignored Frank as he stepped up to her and grabbed her wrist. “This is over, young lady. You are coming with me right now and we are getting you a car home. Then you are going to listen to whatever your mother and I have to say and you’re going to be happy with it and do as we tell you because we’re your parents and we know what’s best for you.”

There was a lot of shouting in the next moment as Paxton attempted to pull his daughter through the crowd, only to be stopped by Frank, he was obviously holding back his temper. They had begun to argue and Frank was making it awful clear that he was not above getting physical in public. Karen knew she had to do something.

While Paxton was distracted, she got free of his grip and shoved herself between them before yelling at the top of her lungs, “STOP!”

That got both of their attention. Frank looked at her with concern despite how obviously angry he was and her father just looked annoyed that this man dared look at his daughter like that. Karen took Frank’s hand and gave it a squeeze to reassure him before turning to her father.

“You need to leave, Dad.”

“Karen, -”

“No, you do not get to talk. I am going to talk and for once in your goddamn life, you are going to listen to everything I have to say.” She inhaled deeply before continuing. “As soon as I’m down, you’re going to leave. You are going to stop trying to push me into doing things I don’t want to do and you are going to back the fuck off for once in your life. I am not going to be a doctor, nor am I going to be a lawyer. I actually think that I’d like to be a reporter for a newspaper and even Frank thinks I can do it.” She noticed the way her father was eyeing Frank. “Yes, that’s his name, he is a person and he’s the best fucking thing that’s ever happened to me. I love him and he cares about me more than any of those bastards mom kept setting me up with. Those were for you, not me.”

“But Karen, look at him!” Paxton interrupted despite being told not to. “You really want to spend the rest of your life with that? He’s beneath you! I bet his family doesn’t even come from a good background! And I mean, look at his face, he’s obviously-” 

Karen’s hand smacked him across the face so hard, he stumbled backwards, surprise in his eyes.    
  
“I know all about him, Dad. I know about his family too and I have nothing against them. He’s was willing to put up with you and mom and considering you two are scraping the bottom of the barrell, his family must be many times better. He is what I want, no matter how you or mom and anyone else on this goddamn planet feels. So do us all a fucking favor Dad.” She got right up his face, staring him down as she murmured, “Leave me the fuck alone. If I want to hear from you, then that’s my choice but don’t you ever try and interfere in my life again or I will let my ‘awful’ boyfriend deal with you and if you haven’t noticed, Frank’s got a bit of a temper.”

With that, she took Frank’s hand and they disappeared into the crowd.

* * *

 

It wasn’t until they got back to the apartment that she let it show how much it had all gotten to her. 

As soon as she got inside, she collapsed on the couch, burying her face in her hands. Frank hated her like and came to sit next to her. He carefully slipped an arm around her shoulders and let her lean into him. He knew that she was going to need a moment to simply let go and cry, so he didn’t make any attempts to stop her, knowing eventually the feeling would pass.

When it did and her frame stopped shaking, he muttered, more to himself than anyone else, “I should’ve knocked his damn teeth out for what he said to you.”

She sniffled, shaking her head. “He’s not worth it. Never has been.”

Frank was inclined to agree. He kissed her head. “I couldn’t have handled him any better myself.” She smiled softly, leaning into his touch.

While she calmed herself, Frank’s head was turning with ideas. He had one thing that kept returning and he was debating if he should even ask. If it would be too crazy for Karen to handle. But something told him it wouldn’t be.

“You know what we should do? Something that will really get back at them?”   
  
“Hm?”

“We should get married.”

Karen lifted her head and looked at him curiously. “Out of spite?”   
  
“No! Well, yes and no. Not just because of that. I love you, I know I’m not gonna find anyone else out there like you and I don’t want to. I know my mom might be hesitant at first but once she meets you, I know she’ll love you just as much as I do. And you talk about feeling so alone in your own home? It’s never like that at my house. There’s always noise and people over and happy voices. You’d love it. But..” Frank bit his lip. “If you don’t want to, I’m not gonna force you. We can wait, until we’re both ready.”

Karen’s eyes had filled with tears once again and she quickly leaned up to kiss him. “If you’re asking me to be yours, then yes, because in the end, ever since I met you, I have always been yours. And truth be told, I don’t want to belong to anyone else.”

Frank kissed her again, stroking a hand through her hair. “Then I would be happy to have you, Mrs.Castle.”


End file.
